Unitary spool assembly



vR. M. WILSON UNITARY SPOOL ASSEMBLY Aug. 19, 1969 2 Sheets-Shet l Filed March 17. 1967 TIG. 5

Aug. 19, 1969 R. M. WILSON 3,462,091-

UNIT/my smo!J ASSEMBLY Filed March 17. 1967 v 2 sheets-sheet TIG. 9

ROBERT M WILSON ATTORNEY Q i5 BY United States Patent O UNI'IARY SPOOL ASSEMBLY Robert M. Wilson, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to Dare Products, Incorporated, Battle Creek, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 623,979 Int. Cl. B65h 75/14 U.S. Cl. 242-118.4 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting dispensing spool assembly made of resilient material having a one-piece molded body member with a large arbor opening provided to receive two end plates having bearing surfaces with a smaller diameter than the arbor opening with the body portion and the end plates having unique provisions for receiving their companion portions and including various methods of securing the end plates to the molded body member,

The present invention relates broadly to mounting spools, and in its specic phases to a unitary molded spool assembly.

Many materials, particularly in the wire and tubing industry, are supplied on spool assemblies having core and end plate members. It is the general practice presently to make these spool member assemblies out of livepiece individual elements. These spool assemblies are made with a transverse or core member, two end anges, one on each end of the transverse, and two end plates, one on each end of the transverse. The usual material for providing this spool member assembly is metal. Two major disadvantages have developed in their use: one is that the ange members may become damaged during handling and shipping which reduces the desirable appearance of the product when it is displayed for sale, and secondly, some material stored on the spool member assembly can change its dimensioal characteristics and force a popping of the ange members from the transverse or core member requiring return of these units for replacement. When the ends pop off scrap material develops during sales distribution because of inadequate means of dispensing the unit properly. It was a recognition of these difficulties and shortcomings of the popping of end anges and appearance along with other disadvantages which led to the conception and development of the present invention.

Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention is the desirability of providing a spool assembly with a one-piece molded body assembly with flanges and a transverse portion and end plates to be mounted on the ends of said body member providing bearing surfaces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spool assembly with molded one-piece body member having a large hole or arbor through a transverse portion with ange portions on its ends and having separate end plates mounted to said flange portions of the body member and providing small bearing surfaces substantially concentric with the arbor.

A further object is to provide a molded one-piece transverse body portion having end anges and a large arbor through the transverse body portion with a reinforcing ring substantially in the center of its arbor and with separate end plates mounted to the end of said transverse body portion forming a one-piece spool assembly.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece body member with a liange and transverse Patented Aug. 19, 1969 portion and separate end plates secured to the flange and transverse portion providing bearing surfaces and spoke reinforcing portions on said flange members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a spool assembly with a one-piece body member having spoke-enforced anges and a transverse member with a substantially concentric large hole or arbor through its center with a reinforcing rib substantially in the middle of said large hole or arbor and providing separate end plates to be mounted on said flange and transverse portion providing bearing surfaces.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a spool assembly having separate end plates which are mounted on a body portion by sonic Welding.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a spool assembly with a one-piece body member having flange and transverse portions and separate end plates which are mounted to the body member by rivet studs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a. spool assembly with a one-piece body member having ange and transverse portions and separate end plates which are mounted to the body member by having a roll bead holding it in position.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a spool assembly with a one-piece body member having flange and transverse portions and separate end plates which are spin heated into mounted position.

Another object is to provide a spool assembly with a one-piece body member having anges and a transverse portion and separate end plates which are held in position by an independent mounting ring.

Another further object of the present invention is a spool assembly with a one-piece molded body member with flanges and a transverse portion and independent end plates having bearing surfaces which are mounted onthe body portion by cementing these members in place.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the single piece molded body member with separate end plates hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but several of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the annexed drawings:

FIGURE l is an elevated end view of the spool assembly having end plates mounted thereon illustrating the principles of the invention in accordance with the present description.

FIGURE 2 is a partial cross section of the present invention taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

`FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end view of the one-piece body member without the end plates being positioned.

FIGURE 4 is a plan end view of the inside surface of the end plate illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating the mounting characteristics for a spool assembly when end plates are sonically welded to the body member. This illustration shows the section before the end plate is mounted.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a cross section of a spool assembly when an end plate is mounted to the body member by rivet studs.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view of the spool assembly illustrating an end plate mounted to the body member by a roll bead.

FIGURE 8 illustrates the cross section of a spool assembly where an end plate is spin heated into position on the body member.

FIGURE 9 is a cross sectional view illustrating a spool assembly having end plates mounted on the one-piece molded body assembly by an independent mounting ring.

FIGURE 9a is a partial cross sectional view of the spool assembly taken along line 9 9 of FIGURE 9.

Generally referring to the figures, we have a spool assembly 10 which is made up of a body member 11 and end plates 12 and 13. Referring to FIGURES l and 2, there is provided a view of the spool assembly 10 with the end plate 12 which has a specification slot 15 for the name of the material or the name of the manufacturer, et cetera, if desired. There is also provided a drive hole 16, the purpose and function of which will be explained in more detail below.

The end plate 12 has a body portion 17, see FIG- URE 4. The end plate 12 has a mounting section 21 connected to the body portion 17 at its outer periphery. The mounting section 21 has a contact surface 22, an outer surface 23, and a guide surface 24, the purpose and function of which will be explained in more detail below. At the inner periphery of the end plate 12 there is provided a bearing section 25 having a bearing wall 26 and a bearing surface 28. The bearing section 25 and the mounting section 21 are connected by the body portion 17.

Referring to the end plate 13, we have a body portion 27 along with a mounting section 31 which has a contact surface 32, an outer surface 33, at its outer periphery,

and a guide surface 34, the purpose and function of which is similar to the corresponding parts on end plate 12.

The end plate 13 also has a lbearing section 35 having a bearing wall 36 and a bearing surface 38. The end plate 13 does not show a drive hole similar to drive hole 16 of end plate 12. However, in various instances, end plate 13 may or may not have a drive hole, depending upon the application; nor is a specification slot similar to the specification slot 15 of end plate 12 shown on end plate 13. The addition of a specification slot on end plate 13 also depends upon the application. However, in the preferred embodiments, the end plates 12 and 13 will be identical to facilitate interchangeability of these two parts to reduce the cost of manufacture, tooling and inventory but, as stated above, this does not necessarily have to be the case.

Referring to FIGURE 2, body member 11 has a transverse or core member 41 and flange members 42 and 43. The flange members 42 and 43 are molded with the transverse member 41 to form a one-piece body member 11. A large hole or arbor 45 is provided Within the transverse member 41. Substantially in the middle of arbor 45 is a reinforcing or supporting rib 44. The flange members 42 and 43 are provided with thick support sections 46 and 47 Where they join with transverse member 41.

Referring generally to FIGURES 3 and 5, flange member 42 is provided with an outer rib 51 and a hub member 52. The rib 51 and hub member 52 are mounted on a liange wall 53. Hub member 52 is connected to the outer rim rib 51 by reinforcing or supporting spokes 55, also mounted on flange wall 53. A name slot 56 is provided on the iiange wall 53 where various information can be placed if desired, such as the manufacturers name or the trademark of the spool assembly 10. A material start end hole 57 is positioned near hub member 52 for use with a preferred embodiment, and normally would be positioned substantially halfway between two support spokes 55. A material finish end hole 58 is positioned near outer rim rib 51 and this again is substantially placed between the support spokes 55. Referring generally to FIGURE 5, the flange member 42 is shown with ange Wall 53, its hub member 52 and thick support section 46. In the present illustration a rounded corner 61 is also illustrated showing the connection of the transverse member 41 to the flange member 42. The rounded corner joins the arbor 45 to a bottom face 62 at its inside portion and also joins the outer surface of transverse member 41 with the inner surface of support section 46. The bottom face 62 is connected to a step surface 63. The step surface 63 connects to contact face 64. The contact face 64 has a weld bead 66 on its midportion extending substantially around its complete surface, the full function of which will be explained in more detail below. The contact face 64 contacts an inner surface 67 which has various functions and applications for the various embodiments as will be explained in more detail below.

Referring to FIGURE 2, ange member 43 is provided with an outer rib 71, a hub member 72, and a flange wall 73, similar to the structure of flange member 42. Hub

v member 72 is connected to the outer rib 71 by reinforcing or supporting spokes 75. A name slot such as name slot 56 of flange member 42 may or may not be provided on flange member 43, depending upon the particular application and needs of the product. Material start and finish end holes, such as holes 57 and 58, may or may not be provided on ange member 43, again depending upon the application and needs of the special invention. The ange member 43 has a rounded corner 81 which is illustrated in the present invention to connect the transverse member 41 to the ange member 43 similar to rounded corner 61 and flange member 42. The rounded corner joins the arbor 45 to a bottom face 82 at its inside position and also joins the outer surface of transverse member 41 with the inner surface of support section 47. The bottom face 82 is connected to a step surface 83. The step surface 83 connects to contact face 84. The contact face 84 contacts an inner surface 87 which has various functions and different applications similar to inner surface 67 which will be explained in more detail below. The inner surface 87 of the flange member 43 is adjacent the outer surface 33 of end plate 13 when the parts are in assembled condition. Contact face 84 is joined with contact surface 32. Prior to assembly there was a weld bead similar to weld bead 66 of flange member 42 present on contact face 84. This is no longer present as it was used to join the end plate 13 with the body member 11, as will be explained in detail below.

Sonic welding may be used for welding parts together by passing ultrasonic waves through the parts. For example, the body member 11 and the end plates 12 and 13 could be made out of rigid plastic permitting the use of sonic welding. By inducing sonic energy, ultrasonic waves, into the outer surface, the material flows together and forms a weld between the points of sonic contact. This has many advantages such as almost instantaneous welding, and the parts remain cool except at the joint. Due to the sonic welding method when two parts are joined such as ange 4member 42 and the end plate 12 the weld bead, such as weld bead 66 of flange member 42, disappears aS it ows between the tWo parts joining them. Thus, when the spool assembly is placed together by sonic welding, a weld bead may be present in the part before assembly, as illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 5. This bead will disappear, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, when the parts have been assembled.

In some applications, such as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the end plates 12 and 13 will have guide surfaces 24 and 34, respectively. These guide surfaces 24 and 34 will position themselves in assembled condition adjacent step surfaces `63 and 83, respectively, assisting in locating the relative position of the parts upon assembly and providing substantial alignment of bearing surfaces 28 and 38. The diameters of the outer surfaces 23 and 33 of end plates 12 and 13, respectively, are somewhat smaller than the diameters of inner surfaces 67 and 87 of flange members 42 and 43, respectively. This structure pre vents any binding effect taking place between these two pairs of surfaces, 23 and 33 and 67 and 87, upon assembly of end plates 12 and 13 on body member 11. The difference in diameters is very slight. This difference could be of various proportions. One illustration would be to have the end plates 12 and 13 .025 of an inch smaller than the diameter of the inner surfaces 67 and 87. During manufacture the spool assembly is mounted in a machine and material 90, illustrated in phantom in FIGURE 2, is supplied to the transverse member portion 41. As viewed in FIGURE 2, the material 90 would be introduced between liange members 42 and 43 with its start end extending out through a material start end hole in the flange member 43 and then taken down to the transverse member 41. A rotating finger, not shown, would be connected to the drive hole 16 turning the spool assembly 10 about its axis to draw the material 90 onto the transverse member 41. After the proper amount of material is dispensed to the spool assembly 10, the rotation will be terminated and the free end of the material 90 is passed through material finish end hole 58 of the flange member 42.

The present disclosure sets forth a spool assembly 10 which permits the body member 11 to be made of a molding material. This has unique advantages in the present embodiments. There can be various changes in some types of material such as shrinking or expansion which can apply pressure to the spool assembly. This pressure, if the parts were separate as they are in the present spool assemblies, can pop the ange members, such as flange members 42 and 43, off the transverse member when they are not integrally locked together as a unitary structure, which is shown in the present case as a one-piece molded structure. The confiicting requirements of the spool assembly and the material require that the size of the transverse member 41 be large so that permanent kinking or curling of the material 90 as it starts to be dispensed on the spool assembly 10 is not permanent. However, smaller bearing surfaces 28 and 38 are necessary when dispensing the material because the normal shafts used are of small diameter origin such as special shafts, broomsticks, pipes, et cetera.

In the preferred embodiment, FIGURES 1 through 5, one method of securing the end plates 12 and 13 to the body member 11 is illustrated. Referring to FIGURE 6, an alternate embodiment is illustrated. Here a similar structure is shown except that rivet studs 92, shown on the left side of FIGURE 6, extend up from the contact face 64. The end plate 12 is provided with a series of rivet holes 93 to receive the rivet studs 92. When the end plate 12 is in position, the rivet studs 92 are acted upon by heat and pressure and form rivet members 94, shown on the right side of FIGURE 6.

Referring to FIGURE 7, a second alternate embodiment is shown where an end plate 12 is positioned on the body member 11 and the end plate 12 has the same form as illustrated in FIGURES l and 4. The hub member 52 has a roll bead 97, shown on the left side of FIGURE 7, extending up above the end plate 12. When the end plate 12 has been positioned for securing, heat and pressure are applied to the roll bead 97 turning it into a rolled bead 98, shown on the left side of FIGURE 7, which fuses with the end plate 12 locking it in position.

Referring to FIGURE 8, the end plate 12 is similar to the end plates 12 and 13 of FIGURES 1 and 4, and the body member 11 and the end plate 12 are spun with respect to each other which fuses them together. This process is termed spin heat joining. A fuse area 101 is formed about the parts holding them together in secured position.

Another alternate method of mounting the end plates 12 and 13 to the body member 11 is illustrated in FIGURES 9 and 9a. The hub member 152 is similar to hub member 52 but has an extended inner surface 167. The end plate 112 is similar to end plates 12 and 13 but has two orientation slots 103 and 104 that are diametrically positioned from one another on end plate 112. A mounting ring 107 is placed on end plate 112 and has positioning tips 113 and 114 which are positioned within orientation slots 103 and 104, respectively. The outer surface 115 of mounting ring 107 is coated with a cement material 116 which bonds the mounting ring 107 to the inner surface 167 of hub member 152.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A spool assembly comprising, in combination,

(a) a body member including a transverse member and a ange member at each end of said transverse member,

(b) end plates located at each end of said transverse member and having bearing surfaces substantially aligned with each other,

(c) an end plate contacting surface located on a hub portion of each ange member,

(d) a body member contacting surface located on a portion of said end plates,

(e) said contacting surfaces being substantially parallel to each other, and

(f) a raised bead bonding means comprising material integrally located on at least one of said contacting surfaces and projecting toward the other contact surface to weld said end plates to said body member, said material being capable of -fiow between said c0r1- tacting surface to eect a bond therebetween.

2. A spool assembly as defined in claim 1 having,

(a) said lflange members having support sections adjacent said transverse member.

3. A spool assembly as defined in claim 1 having,

(a) a supporting rib located substantially in the midportion of said transverse member, and

(b) at least one supporting spoke extending radially on said flange members.

4. A spool assembly as defined in claim 3 having,

(a) one of said end plates having a drive hole, and

(b) said body member having material start and finish end holes.

5. A spool assembly as defined in claim 4 having,

(a) said spool assembly material being of a moldable nature and having resilient characteristics.

6. A spool assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said raised bead bonding means is located on said end plate contacting surface located on said hub portion.

7. A spool assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein each said end plate has a step surface which includes said body member contacting surface and a guide surface,

said hub portion of each said flange member having a step surface which includes said end plate contacting surface and a portion to receive said end plate guide surface.

8. A spool assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said hub portions further include hub members extending around said flange member to receive said end plates.

9. A spool assembly comprising, in combination:

(a) a body member including a transverse member and a flange member at each end of said transverse member,

(b) end plates located at each end of said transverse member and having bearing surfaces substantially aligned with each other,

(c) an end plate contacting surface located on a hub portion of each flange member,

(d) a body member contacting surface located on a portion of said end plates,

(e) said contacting surfaces being substantially parallel to each other,

(f) securing means including means integrally located on at least one of said contacting surfaces and projecting toward the other contact surface to fasten said end plates to said body member,

(g) said projecting means includes at least one rivet member located on said end plate contacting surface on said hub portion and extending through a rivet hole located on said body member contacting surface of said end plate to form a rivet member securing means,

(h) each said end plate has a step surface which inclndes said body member contacting surface and a guide surface,

(i) said hub portion of each said flange member having a step surface which includes said end plate contacting surface and a portion to receive said end plate guide surface.

10. A spool assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said hub portions further include hub members eX- tending around said ilange members to receive said end plates.

11. A spool assembly comprising, in combination:

(a) a body member including a transverse member and a ange member at each end of said transverse member,

(b) end plates located at each end of said transverse member, each said end plate having at least one orientation slot and having bearing surfaces substantially aligned with each other,

(c) each said end plate having a step surface which includes a body member contacting surface and a Iguide surface,

(d) a hub portion located on each flange member and having a step surface which includes an end plate contacting surface and a portion to receive said end plate guide surface,

(e) said contacting surfaces being substantially parallel and contiguous to each other,

(f) a mounting ring positioned on each said end plate and having a position tip extending into said orientation slot, and

(g) means securing said mounting ring to said ange member to fasten said end plate to said body member.

12. A spool assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said hub portions further include hub members extending around said flange member to receive said end plates and said mounting rings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,139,557- 12/1938 Moretti 242 118.61 2,780,420 2/ 1957 Mitnick 242-1188 1,629,562; 5/1927 Wermine 242-118.61 2,190,085 2/ 1940 Scholl. 2,990,133 6/ 1961 Tucker 242-1187 3,118,633 1/1964 Belville 242-1251 3,334,841 8/1967 Burhop 242-118.61

FOREIGN PATENTS 631,909 1/1962 Italy.

991,247 6/1951 France.

721,404 1/ 1955 Great Britain.

7 30,542 5/ 1955 Great Britain.

GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

